Railroad-gate.



W. MAXWELL.

RAILROAD GATE.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 29, 1915- I 1,210,190. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

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. W. MAXWELL.

RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. 1916.

1 ,2 1 0, 1-90. Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

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W. MAXWELL.

RAlLROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, 1916.

1,210,190, Patented Dec. 26,1916.

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FFICE.

WILLIAM MAXWELL, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-earn.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Gate, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention'is toprovide a new and improved railroadgate more especially j designed for use on grade crossings and arrangedto automatically sound an alarm and to subsequently close the normallyopen gates and holdithe same closed by an approaching train until thelatter has passed the crossing, and to then autoinatically return thegates to normalopen position Another object is to readily permit the use01 the operating devices for the gate on single or multiple trackrailroads.

In order to accomplish he desired result,

use is made of a pivoted barrier normally held locked in open positionand adapted to swing into closed position by its own weight,

an actuating device,,a counterweight device for returning the barrier toupright position and normally holding it thereon, an actuating devicealong the track at one side of the crossing and a distance therefrom tobe actuated by an approaching train for actuating the said counterweightdevice to allow the barrier to swmg into closed position, a

locking device for locking the said counterweight device in position atthe time the barrier 1S lowered, and a releasing device for the saidlocking device arranged along the track on the other side of thecrossing to be engaged by the departing train after the latter haspassed the crossing, to release the barrier and allow it to swing backinto normal open position. v

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying draw- I ings forminga part of this specification, in

which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the views. I

Figure 1 represents a plan viewof my device as applied to a single trackroad and showing the gates in section; Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthesame with the roadhed and crossing shown in seetion; Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic view of the releasing system for returning the gates totheir normal raised position; Flg. 4. is an enlarged vertical section ofone of the gate-operating devices at Application filedFebruary 29, 1916.Serial No. 81,143.

crossing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 26, 1916 y the time thegate is open; Fig. 5 is a similar yiew of part of the same and with theparts 1n posltion when the gate is in lowered or closed position; Fig. 6is-asectional plan view of the same on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of one ofthegate-actuating devices for closing the gate; Fig. 8 is a cross sectionof the same on the line 8'8 of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 represents a side elevationof one of the releasing devices; and Fig. 10 is across section of thesame on the line 1O-10.

As shown in the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a single track embodiment of'my invention, wherein 1 2 represent the rails of the track 8,constituting the crossing, which latter is controlled by barriers 8,preferably arranged in pairs,as shown in Fig. 1. The

pairs of gates are normally in open raised pos tion and arefadapted tobe closed auto matlcally on trainv approaching the crossing and adaptedto return to raised normal position on the train departing from the Thepairs of gates are connected with each other to operate in unison butonly the. pair of barriers Sis connected with the gate-operating devices5, '5' connected with the actuating devices 4;, 4E and the releasingmechanism 6, 6 disposed along one rail of the single track on oppositesides of the crossing, as plainly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. To theright of the track I: arrange the devices 4 for operating the barriers8, best indicated in Fig. 2, and on the opposite side or the crossing Iarrange the device 6 which constitutes the releasing device for thebarthe train passing beyond and past the gate releasing device 4:, thislatter is inoperative to any train passing in the direction justoutlined. Naturally a two-track road would necessitate a slightrearrangement of the devices referred to in conjunction with asingletraclrroad. However, this modification is so patentably obviousthat further reference thereto need hardly be made.

members 14 arranged upon a shaft 15 journaled in a housing 15 on the oneside and a housing 30 on the other, whlch housings are suitably mountedon foundations, which latter construction need not be further gone into.The spider arms 14 carry in the illustrated embodiment of my invention,rollers 14 mounted upon the studs 14. In this way as the wheels of thetrain pass by the point of the track indicated in the figures, thespider arms are caused to rotate and thereby transmit their motion to apinion 31 mounted upon the shaft 15, to a rack bar 32 moving inguideways 32 of the housing 30, and by means of the spring 34 connectedat one end to the pin 34' on the rack bar 32 and on the other endconnected by means of the pin and block 33 to the transmission rod 33,is enabled by means of the mechanism indicated in Fig. 4 to not onlyrelease the barriers 8 to stop all cross railroad traffic, but at thesame time enables a storing of energy to take place to bring said armsback to their normal position at the proper time.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that in a single track road, itbecomes necessary to make the spider arm inoperative with respect to theoperating rod 33 when the train is passing in a particular direction.For this reason, a ratchet and pawl mechanism indicated by 30, ismounted with respect to the pinion 31 and the shaft 15. In order to Ifacilitate the return of the rack bar 32 to its normal position, aspring 42 is attached at the one end to the pin 42 on the said rack barand on the other end to a stud 43 mounted upon the housing 30.

Turning to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the rod 33 is made integral witha rack mounted on the housing 7 constituting the gate support. Said rack35 has teeth 35, which are caused to engage with the pinion 38mountedupon a shaft 44, which latter shaft has also mounted upon it agrooved pulley having a flexible transmitting means 39 engaging with adouble grooved flanged drum 19, loose on a shaft 9 journaled in thehousing 7. In this way, when the rack 35 operates upon the pinion 38,mo-

.tion is transmitted to the grooved and flanged drum 19 and by virtue ofthe cable 13 operating in one of the grooves 20 and being attached to aweight 16, the weight is raised and with it a tripper block 17 attachedthereto. This tripper block in its upward motion strikes against afulcrumed lever 11, which engages with a notch 12 in a disk 10 securedto the shaft 9. Said barrier is normally arranged to tilt slightlyforward, though counterbalanced by a weight 18, in order that on beingreleased by the re straining lever 11, normally engaging with the notch12, the barrier shall proceed to fall in a relatively easy manner. Withthe rotation of the grooved drum 19, the weight raised by the same,which would normally tend to make the said drum return to its originalposition when the movement of the rod 33 has ceased, is constrained totake up its modified position by means of a springpressed pawl 22engaging with the segmented serrated teeth 21 arranged at the peripheryof the said. drum 19. The pawl member 22 is fulcrumed at 22 and ispressed to engage the periphery of the said drum by means of the spring22".

The flange of the drum 19 carries a pin or projection 23, which engageswith a lug 24 carried by the disk 10. However, be cause the drum 19rotates substantially a quarter of a revolution before the releasingblock 17 strikes the weighted lever 11 to release the disk 10, the saiddisk and consequently the arm integral therewith, cannot turn throughthe corresponding angle to bring the arm to-a horizontal position, butthe drum 19 has substantially performed its function of raising theweight 16, which latter weight is used to turn the arm 8 to its normaloperating position. Thus by means of a releasing system of cables 14attached at one end to the pawl 22, by the movement of the cables towithdraw the pawl 22 from engagement with the drum 19, the said drum inreturning to its normal position by virtue of thepin 23 engaging withthe ear 24 of the disk 10 necessarily returns the arm 8 to its uprightposition when the cables 14 are caused to take the proper movement bymeans of the suitable mechanism indicated by the returning devices 6 and6. The said returning devices are better illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10of the drawings. It will be seen that a roller 25 is mounted upon an arm28 placed contiguous to the rail 2 and in suitable relationship to therailroad crossing 3. Said arm 28 is mounted upon a shaft 27 suitablysupported on a foundation frame 46. Mounted integrally with the saidshaft 27 is also an arm 23 which is attached to a dash pot deviceindicated at 29; The arm 28 is pressed to an operating position by meansof the springs 26, suitably mounted between the frame 46 and the arm. Onthe other hand, the cable member 14 is attached to the upright arm 25.Thus it will be seen that if the roller 25 should be struck in such amanner as to ease the cable 14, the dash pot device 29 will not allowthe arm 25 to go past the vertical neutral point and in this mannerrelease the pawl 22 in Fig.4 before its allotted time. On the otherhand, should the roller 25 be struck by, a wheel flange of thetrain inthe position so as to positively release the pawl 22, the dash potdevice in no wise interferes in this normal operation. It will thereforebe seen that the mechanisms described in Fig. 1 are designed to becomeoperative on a single-track road, but even without modification can beinstalled in a two-track road withouthaving to resort to anymodification of parts whatsoever.

In Fig. 2 I have indicated an arrangement whereby the spider 14 operatesthe rack bar 32, in the one case mounted above the shaft 15, but in theother case below the shaft 15.

This arrangement, however, hardly merits a separate View, since thehousing and the attached parts are exactly alike in both cases, butsimply involve a different method of positioning the samewith respect tothe roadbed. On the other hand, in order that the barrier 8 indicated inFig. 2 shall be operative in opposite directions, it becomesnecessaryto' change the arrangement of the flexible member 39 of Fig. 4to that indicated by 41 in Fig. 2. i r

In Fig. 3 I have indicated diagrammatis cally the manner of attachmentof the cables 14' to the pawls 22 engaging with the teeth.

21 of the respective drums 19. It will be seen that the cable 14 isbifurcatediin such a manner that whereas one bifurcation operates one ofthe simultaneous set of pawis 22, the other bifurcationoperates thesecond rack 35 on the other, tends to return the,

rack 35 to its normal position when withdrawn therefrom by the rodmembers 33.

In order, thatthe proper signal may be given to the roadway traffic atthe crossing the rack 35 is caused to engage by means of its teeth 35'with the bell crank lever 36 to give suitable oscillatory movement tothe striker of a bell 37, to sound the latter and which shall beindicative of the speed with which the spider arms 14- are being engagedby the passing train. The bifurcations indicated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings are suit ably supported by means of rollers 4.0

mounted in the housing 7 either directly or by means of the bracket 40.The shafts 44 extend across the track, as plainly shown in Fig. 1, andthe shafts are connected by pulley and belt devices 39 and 41 with theshafts '9 carrying the barriers 8 to operate the same in unison with thebarriers 8 In the operation of the device, a train passing from right toleft in accordance with the view indicated in Fi 1 or heartwings, wouldstrike the spider 1a, which, in

turn would operate to firstly raise the weight 16 and secondly afterhaving raised this weight a suitable height, would release the gate arms8 by means of the block 17 engaging with suitable fulcrumed levers 11,

which lock'the gate arms in their upright position. It willbe noted,that because the rack bar 32 only carries a definite number of teethirrespective of the length of the train and the actualnumber ofrotations or impulses imparted to the spider, theweight 16 will nottravel morethan a definite amount. The same is also true with regard tothe rack 35. Moreover because the springs are arranged between the rods33 and the rack 32, whatever shock might bepresent in the spider arms,would not necessarily be trans mitted to the rods 33 and the remainderof the system. The train in-subsequcntly passing over the roller 25. onthe same side of system generally, whereas when thesaid train has passedthe crossing 3 and engages with the releasing mechanism 6 by strikingthe corresponding roller 25, the cables 14 are tensioned (and therebyare made to release the pawls 22 engaging with the teeth 21 on the drum19. On the other hand when the train subsequently engages with thespider arms 14 of the mechanism 1 indicated in Fig. 1, by virtueof theratchet and pawl mechanism 30 indicated in Fig. 7, no action takes placeon the railroad gate.v It will be seen therefore that whereas thesignals given by the bell 37-. by means of the rack-35 enthe train isapproaching, as soon as the arms are released, they fall in a -mannerentirely independent of the releasing mechanism and moreover the returnof said armsis brought back to normal at a speed entirely independent ofthe crossing train. By this means therefore the shock to the apparatusas a whole is considerably.diminished, since the storing of energy hasto take place by steps and thereforethe individual partsneednot havemomentum to cause any considerable danger or shock.

In case sidewalksextend across the track in addition to theroadway, thensmall bar riers are connected with andoperate in unison with the swinggates or barriers 8, 8.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and deslre to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A gate for railroad crossings, comprising a pivoted barrier normallyheld locked in open position and adapted toiswing into closed positionby its own weight, afcounte'r- .weightdevice connected with the barrierto 1 normally hold the latter in open position gaging'with the bellcrank lever 36, causes a signal indicative. of the speed with which andto return the closed barrier to normal open position, an actuatingdevice along the track at one side and a distance from the crossing andadapted to be actuated by an approaching train for actuating the saidcounterweight device to allow the barrier to swing into closed position,a locking device for locking the said counterweight device in positionat the time the barrier moves into closed position, and a releasingdevice for the said locking device arranged along the track on the otherside of the crossing to be engaged by the departing train after thelatter has left the crossing to release the barrier and allow it toswing back into its normal open position, the said releasing deviceincluding a flexiblemember attached to the said locking device.

2. A gate for railroad crossings, comprising a counterweighted barriermounted to swing by its own weight from normal raised position to closedposition across the crossing, a drum loose on the pivot of the saidbarrier and provided with a pin, a disk rotating with the said pivot andhaving a projection engaged by the said pin, a countershaft having apulley and belt connection with thesaid drum, a flexible member en-'gaging the said drum, a weight attached to the said flexible member, apinion on the said countershaft, a spring-pressed rack adapted to meshwith the said pinion, a second rack a distance to one side of thecrossing and rigidly connected with the firstnamed rack, a revolublemember controlled by an approaching train, a second pinion in mesh withthe said second rack, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism connecting thesaid second pinion with the said revoluble member.

3. A gate for railroad crossings, comprising a counterweightedbarriermounted to swing by its own weight from normal raised position to closedposition across the crossing, a counterweighted drum loose on the pivotof the said barrier and provided with a pin, a disk rotating with thesaid pivot and havinga projection engaged by the said pin, acountershaft having a pulley and belt connection with the said drum, apinion on the said countershaft, a spring-pressed rack adapted to meshwith the said pulley, a second rack a distance to one side of thecrossing and rigidly connected with the firstnamed rack, a revolublemember controlled by an approaching train, a second pinion in mesh withthe said second rack, a pawl and ratchet mechanism connecting thesaidsecond pinion with the said revoluble member, a pawl and ratchetmechanism connected with the said counterweighted drum, and a releasingdevice along the track on the other side of the crossing and connectedwith the said pawl and ratchet mechanism of the counterweighted drum,the said releasing train.

a. A gate for railroad crossings, comprising a counterweighted barriermounted to swing by its own weight from normal raised position intoclosed position, a shaft carrying the said barrier, a drum loose on thesaid shaft and havina pin and a notched segment, a notched disk fixed onthe said shaft and having a lug engaged by the said pin, a flexibleconnection engaging the said drum and carrying a weight, a pawl engagingthe notched disk, a block on the said flexible connection and adapted toengage the said pawl, an actuating device along the track at one side ofthe crossing and connected with said drum, a pawl engaging the saidratchet segment, and a releasing device along the track on the otherside of the crossing and connected with the said notched segment andpawl.

5. In a device of the kind described, a gate, a gate operating meanscomprising a revoluble member havlng arms arranged to receive successiveimpulses from an approaching train, mechanism for holding the gatenormally in open position, the said mechanism being controlled'by theimpulses of the revoluble member to permit the gate to close, and aunitary impulse gate returning means.

6. In combination a gate member, a locking means for locking the gatemember in normal open position, a releasing means for the said lockingmeans, the said gate member when released moving to closed position,means for returning the gate member to normal position and meansconnected with the returning means for operating the said releasingmeans. a

7. In combination with the track of a railroad, a oneway gate operatingmechanism comprising a gate controlling means including a revolublemember operated by repeated impulses from the train in passing by saidmechanism to permit the gate to close, and a one-way operable gatereturning means also operable by said train.

8. In a device of the kind described, a gate controlling means operatedby successive impulses from a passing train to permit the gate to close,a unitary impulse gate returning means, the said gate returning meansincluding a spring controlled arm adjacent the rail and adapted to beengaged by a train, a shaft on which the arm is mounted, an arm mountedon said shaft, and a dash pot connected with said arm.

9. In combination with the track of a railroad, a oneway gate operatingmechanism comprising a gate controlling means operated by repeatedimpulses from the train in passing by said mechanism to permit the gateto move to closed position, a locking device for said gate when inclosed position, a one-way operable gate returning means also operableby said train, said returning means comprising a member ar ranged alongthe track and provided with a roller, springs for holding said member10. In a device of the class described, a

gate member, a gate operating means comprising a revoluble actuatingmember, a shaft on which said member is mounted, a pinion carried bysaid shaft, a rack in mesh with said pinion, a transmission rodconnected by a spring with said rack, a second rack to which thetransmission rod is connected, a pinion actuated by the said secondrack, a drum operatively connected with the said pinion, and means forconnecting said drum with the gate member.

11. In a device of the class described, a gate member, a gate operatingmeans comprising a revoluble actuating member, a shaft on which saidmember is mounted, a pinion carried by said shaft, a rack in mesh withsaid pinion, a transmission rod connected by a spring with said rack, asecond rack to which the transmission rod is connected, a springcontrolling said second raclr, a pinion actuated by said second rack, adrum mounted to turn and actuated from the said second pinion, means forconnecting the drum with the gate member, and a weight connected withthe said drum.

12. In combination with a gate member, a locking means for locking thegate member in open position, releasing means for said gate membercomprising an energy storing device, means for actuating the same tostore energy, the said energy storing device having means for releasingthe said locking means, after the energy is stored, to permit the gateto close, a locking means for the said energy storing device when thegate member is in closed position, means for releasing the said lockingmeans, and a connection between the said gate member and the energystoring device for returning the gate member to normal position afterthe said locking means is released.

13. A ate for railroad crossings, comprising a counterweighted gatemember mounted to swing by its own Weight from normal raised positioninto closed position, a shaft carrying the said gate member, a drumloose on the said shaft and having a pin and a notched segment, anotched disk fixed on the said shaft and having a lug engaged by thesaid pin, a flexible connection engaging the said drum and carrying aweight, a pawl engaging the notched disk, when the gate member is inraised position, means on the flexible connection adapted to engage thesaid pawl to release the same, an actuating device along the track atone side of the crossing and connected with the said drum to turn thesame to raise the said weight, a pawl engaging the said notched segmentof the drum, when the gate is in closed position, and a releasing devicealong the track on the other side of said crossing, the said releasingdevice including an arm mounted to swing and a flexible memberconnecting said arm with the last mentioned pawl.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MAXWELL. Witnesses:

I. S. CoURTnIei-IT, GEORGE CHAMPION.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. (3.

